


A Good Woman

by magician



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Community: sentinel_thurs, Family, Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-05 00:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15852765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magician/pseuds/magician
Summary: Good people should be treasured.





	A Good Woman

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written back in February for Sentinel Thursday to the prompt "salt". Sorry, just forgot to post it here.

Simon Banks opened his office door and looked out at the room, full of desks of the men and women who worked for him.  The lone occupant was Blair Sandburg.  "Sandburg," he said quietly. "Can I see you in my office?"  
  
Curious, since Simon normally bellowed from his office when he wanted to talk to one of his people, Blair followed his boss and watched as Simon shuffled papers at his desk, studying one, discarding another, then stuffing some into his attaché case. "What's up?" Blair asked when it didn't look as if Simon was going to say anything.  
  
"I've got to go out of town for a few days.  Can you please let anyone know who asks?  I'll leave messages and instructions when I get a chance."  
  
"Sure thing.  Is something wrong?"  
  
"Yes, my grandmother passed."  
  
"Wow, I'm so sorry. What happened?"  
  
Simon sighed.  "They don't know yet, but they suspect a stroke.  She was a strong woman, but our whole family suffers from high blood pressure.  She was taking medication but complained about the side effects.  I expect she probably stopped taking it." Simon took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She was 85.  I know that's not young, but she still had a lot of life in her."  
  
"What was she like?" Blair asked softly.  
  
Simon sat down in his chair and leaned back, looking up as he searched through his memories.  "She was tough--she had to be.  After her husband died, she raised her children single-handedly.  She didn't cut them any slack. They were expected to do well in school, because she said that was their job and 'you have to do your job right'." Simon chuckled. "She said the same to her grandkids--I don't know how often I heard that phrase.  She had high standards and didn't suffer fools. But she also was a kind and giving woman. She told us that the poor and helpless were given to us as gifts, to remind us to be grateful for what we had and to give us the opportunity to be generous."  
  
"Salt of the earth, eh?" Blair asked.  
  
Simon looked at him strangely.  "Yes, that's exactly how I would describe her.  I'm a little surprised you know the phrase."  
  
Blair smiled. "Why, because Jesus said it?  Anyone who preaches loving and helping everyone, turning the other cheek and pointing out hypocrisy is okay by me. People who truly listen to his teachings and follow them have the right to call themselves Christians.  It's sounds like your grandmother was one in spirit as well as name."  
  
"She was indeed. I remember once…" And then Simon started sharing memories of the matriarch, revealing a lot about himself as well.  
  
*****  
  
Simon, dressed in a charcoal suit, stood behind a lectern in a church packed to the rafters.  He cleared his throat. "Vivien Carlyle was my grandmother.  She was mother to many children and many more grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and yet, when I was with her, she had all the time in the world for me. And when she was with others--neighbors, friends, strangers--I felt the same way.  She gave of herself from an infinite store of love and generosity."  There were murmurs of assent throughout the crowd.  
  
"A friend of mine, with whom I was sharing my sorrow over losing Gran, called her 'the salt of the earth'.  I can't think of a more apt description. She flavored my life and the lives of everyone here, yet she was never pretentious or prideful about it.  
  
"I could spend all day telling stories about Gran, as we all could, as we all _will_ in the days and weeks ahead. But I want to tell you just one about this woman who was so close to my heart."  And with that, Simon came down from the lectern and sat with friends and family, sharing his boyhood memory with them.  
  
~~end~~ 

**Author's Note:**

> When Mab posted the prompt, the phrase just stuck in my head and wouldn't go away. I tried it on a few characters, but it seemed to belong to Simon. Apologies if I offend anyone. And Happy Valentine's Day. <3 Virtual chocolate for everyone!


End file.
